Product Manager - Food Packaging

If you have a passion for growth and thrive in a dynamic, "Get S*%t Done" (GSD) environment, Korpack invites you to join our fast-growing organization! Korpack is on the hunt for a strong Product Manager to own its food packaging category.

The Product Manager - Food Packaging will integrate technical expertise with business acumen, focusing on packaging materials for both flexible and rigid products (CPG vertical). This role requires a high level of technical knowledge and proficiency in various substrates, applications, and functionality. Essential skills include offering a consultative and solution-oriented approach to projects and opportunities to support our customer-base.

Who We Are:

Korpack is a team of innovators in packaging materials, contract packaging, and automation solutions. With an engineering mindset and creative flexibility, we aim to lead the industry by consistently improving our performance and meeting the highest standards. Our mission is to delight customers by delivering quality services consistently on time, keeping promises, and building lasting relationships.

We strive to disrupt the packaging industry from every angle. Our core values are:

• D - Determined
• I - Innovative
• S - Smile
• R - Responsive
• U - Understanding
• P - Proactive
• T - Teamwork

What Your Day Will Consist of:

Material Knowledge:

• Utilize technical knowledge and proficiency in various substrates, applications, and functionality to drive winning new business opportunities.
• Develop and maintain an in-depth understanding of various packaging materials, including flexible (e.g., films, laminates, multi-layer laminated films, stick pack film, pre-made pouches, flow and overwrap film, barrier films, poly bags, sheeting and tubing, hooding film) and rigid (e.g., plastics, glass, metal, paperboard, pouches, bottles, jars, thermoformed trays, cups, caps, drums) options.
• Evaluate the properties, advantages, and limitations of different substrates used in food packaging to support new customer opportunities.
• Recommend appropriate packaging materials for various types of food products based on specific application requirements.
• Food packaging knowledge and understanding of retailer specifications to be a consultant for sales team and customer partners.

Vendor Relationship Management:

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key vendors and suppliers in the assigned product category. Cultivate and manage relationships with key suppliers to ensure a reliable and cost-effective supply chain.
• Conduct regular performance reviews and audits of vendors to ensure compliance with quality standards.
• Source for new supplier partners to support business needs and manage partner relationships to support business timelines with emphasis on customer requirements.
• Collaborate with vendors to develop new packaging solutions and improve existing ones.
• Assess and select suppliers based on material quality, reliability, and compliance with standards.
• Negotiate with vendor/supplier partners to secure high-quality materials at competitive prices.

Strategic Sourcing Strategy:

• Lead and manage the overall estimating process for all projects, products, and/or services in this category.
• Prepare and manage quotes for all CPG, flexible, rigid products as it relates to food and non-food products.
• Ensure accuracy and competitiveness of quotes to win business while maintaining margins.
• Drive Korpack's strategic sourcing strategy aligned with overall business objectives.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities and efficiency improvements in the procurement process.
• Utilization and enhancement of ERP system procurement tools, and analytic tools to enhance visibility in vendor partner relations and make data-driven decisions.
• Develop strategies to improve overall processes with a systematic approach and put intelligence in the system to guide strong decision-making

Customer Partner and Internal Team Support:

• Act as the internal point of contact for salesperson/customers regarding packaging needs.
• Provide technical support and expertise to customers to solve packaging-related issues.
• Understand customer and retailer specifications (e.g. Costco) to propose new solutions and speak to customer requirements.
• Collaborate with the sales team to identify and develop new business opportunities.
• Work closely with the sales team to understand customer requirements and provide tailored quotes.
• Be the category advocate and Subject Matter Expert (SME) to educate internal and external partners and Collaborate with necessary departments to gather necessary information for accurate solution offerings and estimations.

Cost Analysis and Optimization:

• Analyze costs associated with the procurement process and identify areas for cost reduction or efficiency improvement.
• Implement cost-effective sourcing strategies without compromising quality or service.
• Manage and optimize the sourcing budget, ensuring cost-effectiveness and efficiency in procurement activities.

Continuous Improvement & Compliance:

• Collaborate with other departments to ensure alignment in sourcing strategies.
• Implement processes for continuous improvement in strategic sourcing and estimating activities.
• Identify and recommend enhancements to procurement processes and systems.
• Ensure compliance with legal and ethical standards in the procurement process.
• Adherence to key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of growth within the product category.
• Regularly assess and report on the performance of vendor partners against established metrics.
• Stay informed about market trends, pricing, and innovations in the industry.
• Conduct market research to identify new suppliers and technologies.

What does success look like? (What You’ll do - Mission of the role)

The mission of the role is to drive innovation and excellence in packaging solutions by leveraging technical expertise and industry knowledge. This is a high-paced role with multiple opportunities being worked on simultaneously per day - speed, organization and attention to detail will be key for success.

What We Expect of You

• Intelligent / Learner: You learn complex concepts quickly. You demonstrate the ability to proficiently understand and absorb new information. You have strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Work Ethic / Need for Achievement: You are ambitious and strive for excellence. You set challenging goals and hold yourself accountable for exceeding them. You are willing to work as hard as possible to get things done.

• Curiosity: You are eager to look for innovative products in the marketplace and find vendors to support the solution. You think outside of the box and think creatively when offering alternative solutions. You understand the goals of a request and get context through effective questioning and listening.

• Organization / Efficiency: You are organized and orderly. You work efficiently and effectively with minimal wasted time. You focus on key priorities and management of opportunities in the pipeline.

• Confident / Positivity: You are aggressive in your planning and confident in your strategy to win business opportunities. You are self-driven and a highly motivated person that possesses the confidence and skill set for solving problems and driving results.

• Project Management: You can manage multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring timely and successful completion.

• Strategic Thinking: You can think strategically and align sourcing & estimating strategies with overall business goals.

• Customer-focused: white-glove service advocate.

What You Need to Bring to the Role

Required Experience

• A bachelor's degree in business, supply chain management, or a related field.
• Prior packaging experience - 5+ years
• In-depth understanding of various packaging materials, including flexible (e.g., films, laminates, multi-layer laminated films, stick pack film, pre-made pouches, flow and overwrap film, barrier films, poly bags, sheeting and tubing, hooding film) and rigid (e.g., plastics, glass, metal, paperboard, pouches, bottles, jars, thermoformed trays, cups, caps, drums) options.
• A high degree of technical knowledge and expertise in various substrates, applications, graphics, and functionality.
• Competence using ERP and sourcing tools
• Advanced knowledge and usage of Excel is a must
• Proven experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, or supply chain management.

Preferred Experience

• Manufacturing and/or Distribution Experience

What Challenges We Expect

• There is a significant learning curve in this role, with custom solutions from a range of specialized and trusted partners (vendors/suppliers). The amount of information may feel overwhelming at first.
• We have cutting-edge tools and technologies that will take time to learn how and when to best apply.

How We’ll Support You

• You will have a team around you to help you perform in your role.
• Sales Operations, including engineering and project managers to support required functions
• Finance: to send and secure invoices with vendors
• Data: Dashboards and Metrics to meet and exceed business and personal goals.

What You’ll Earn

Aggressive compensation, 401K, Competitive benefits, Vacation, etc.